Lot 362: 1970 Morris Minor 1000 (catalogued as Morris) at the Mathewsons December 2026 auction

What to check on any Morris Minor (1948 to 1971)

• The bodyshell is the car's value and rust often starts inside box sections, so bubbling paint can hide much worse.
• The ash frame is structural, not decorative. Press the wood, particularly at joints, along the waist rail and at the base of the rear posts.
• Many Tourers began life as saloons. A properly converted car can be perfectly sound, but poor conversions lack the strengthening and can be unsafe, and some have been sold as factory cars.
• Bottom-end rumble on starting and blue smoke under throttle mean wear; smoke can also be valve guides or seals.
• Gearboxes are the weakest point, especially pre-1098cc units.
• The front kingpins and trunnions need greasing every few thousand miles; neglect wears them out.

Full Morris Minor (1948 to 1971) buyer's guide →

Checks for this car

• It is a modified car, so check how the V5C records the changes.
• Check insurance for the modifications.
• Check for rust beneath the modifications.